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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Review: Seventh Generation Boosts Soothing Skin Serum

Hey, friends! I'm here today to share with you my review of the Seventh Generation Soothing Skin Serum, as well as some of my #AllNaturalStyleSecrets. I was accepted to do this challenge by Lucky Magazine. Their online community hosts a number of different fun challenges that you can check out on their website. Lucky Magazine also posted my review to their website! If you want, you can look at it here (and maybe give me an upvote if you liked it; I'll get a prize if I get the most!)

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product from Lucky and Seventh Generation for use in connection with this blog.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I see Seventh Generation, I think of this:

So when I heard they were doing a Lucky challenge with a beauty product, I was super skeptical.

(Click to enlarge)

Their cleaning supplies is popular because it does not contain harsh chemical agents, and in keeping with the trend, Seventh Generation's skin serums are just as gentle! According to their website, you can choose from a multitude of serums depending on your skincare concerns. I did not get to choose, but I received the one in Soothing with oat extract, which I was happy about since I have sensitive skin. My skin turns red simply on contact, and my nose and the surrounding area always has some lingering redness, so I was excited to see how this interacted with that.

This product boasts a lovely list of claims, saying it calms and relieves skin, absorbs quickly, won't clog pores, hypoallergenic, is USDA-certified biobased (100%), and has a 100% botanical formula that contains natural ingredients shown to have "powerful effects on your skin." It is also free of parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. Let's take a look at the ingredients list, shall we?

It seems like they're pretty open with their ingredients list, and everything is definitely all natural. I don't quite understand the purpose for the scientific names, but this list is short and sweet, so I can look past it. There are no silicones, no funky ingredients. Essentially, this contains argan oil (I'm sure you've heard of it; Argan Oil has exploded in the beauty community over the last year or so), Oat Extract (the soothing element), Zi Cao, Rosemary Extract, Roman Chamomile, and a carrier oil to tie it all together (a mixture of Apricot, Almond, and Grapeseed Oil). Awesome! I love being able to know exactly what I'm getting.

I've been using this product every night for the past two weeks. It lists multiple options for directions. You can either 1) "apply 1 to 2 pumps directly to damp skin daily" or 2) mix 1 to 2 pumps in your hand with any Seventh Generation personal care product. I do not have any other Seventh Generation personal care products (I didn't know there were more!), but I decided I would mix it with my moisturizer and see how that worked out.

On the first night, I used this without a moisturizer over it. I cleansed my skin, and then used two pumps of serum. I found that one just barely-sorta-kinda covered my face, but two was perfect (and then I could also bring it down to my neck). Then, I went about the rest of my nightly routine (brushing my teeth, etc.). I was shocked to realized that this passed the 15 minute test!

What's the 15 minute test? It is a test I perform when testing a new skincare product. I have combination skin, and one of my biggest concerns is dryness. What I look for most in a moisturizer is to see if it's moisturizing enough for my dry spots, and if a product passes the 15 minute test (aka my face doesn't feel tight or dry), I find that to be a huge success! Well, after 15 minutes of wearing this alone, you could find me in my bathroom doing a little happy dance because my face didn't tighten up! Personally, if you have dry skin, I would wear a moisturizer over it, because my skin was not as moisturized as I normally prefer, but I was happy to find that it was way more moisturizing than I was expecting.

The second night, I applied my moisturizer over it. Since this serum did a great job of replenishing moisture, I was able to use a moisturizer I had turned away from before because it was too light (The Serious Skin Care Emu & Aloe Soothing Cream, if anyone's familiar with it). I was actually able to move to using a lighter nighttime moisturizer because of this serum, and that never happens to me. It was the best thing ever.

The third night, I decided to take Seventh Generation up on their offer and mix a pump in with my moisturizer (the Serious Skin Care one). The only problem with this is that the oil tends to run down your hand when mixing, so it can get a little messy. I found that the results were just about the same (though, and maybe it's just a placebo effect, but I noticed my face was a little more moisturized when I did them in separate steps). When I'm feeling lazy, I have no problem mixing the steps at night, because sometimes we just want to get to bed!

For the rest of the two weeks, I continued to wear it mixed with my moisturizer or under my moisturizer. I have to say, I am completely in love with this product. I'll definitely be using up the whole bottle, and then when I run out, I'll go out and buy more. I think next time I'll try a different variety, just because my curiosity is never calmed. I might try the jojoba one next, since it is supposed to be very moisturizing (jojoba oil is another popular oil in the beauty world).

This product does have a scent that lingers, but only as it absorbs into your skin. It seems like a mixture of mint and herbs. I can understand the herbs, due to the rosemary in the ingredients, but where does the mint come from? Either way, I find the scent to be somewhat pleasant. As for the absorption time, I wouldn't call it "quick," but it is about average. It does take a minute or two to completely absorb into the skin, but it's not cumbersome.

A few of my quick and easy #AllNaturalStyleSecrets:
- Use olive oil as a makeup remover. It works wonders, even on waterproof mascara (which, I know, everything claims to remove waterproof mascara, but this actually breaks it up, I swear). Some people like to add aloe vera water to it, but I don't keep that on hand in the house.
- Soak your nails in olive oil to make them healthier (can you tell I'm Italian, with all of this olive oil?)
- Grab some sugar and a honey (or olive oil, if you guys aren't tired of it yet) and you have an inexpensive lip scrub! Some people like to lick it off, but I just use a napkin because voluntarily licking dead skin off my lips is just unappetizing.

That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed this post! I absolutely adore this product. My face feels so soft. Sometimes, when I'm laying in bed, I'll just feel my face in wonder and think about how soft it is. You think I am kidding, but I am not. I have accidentally skipped a day or two before (oops), and my face was still soft. I am obsessed.